Life, Love and Marriage According to the Ministry
by LegoLassss
Summary: The MOM sets out a Bill stating that any unmarried Witches and Wizards between the ages of 17 and 30 must marry someone of the Ministry's choice. For most, they've managed to get the age gap as small as possible. For one 17 year old girl, 9 years is not small enough. Oh, and her bully is his ex girlfriend's sister? Teddy/OC Rewriting this story, three years after I first wrote it.
1. Chapter 1 Rewritten

**This story is a little like Fred's Happiness in the fact that it's a Ministry Marriage thing, but I took the Marriage Rules from Expectations and the Tale of Beedle and the Bard by anarchyartist23, and changed things up a little, adding in rules of my own too.**

**I am definitely not JK Rowling.**

**This is a rewrite of the story I wrote three years ago. It's not much different, however I hope t'll be written better and will have more of a plot I can follow!**

**The girl in this story is one year younger than Albus and Rose, one year older than Lily - 9 years younger than Teddy. Just a heads up if you don't like it. Teddy is 25 (26 on May 1 which took me ages to work out, but finally managed to), she is 17 (Born on October 22).**

**"Marriage Law as Set Forth by British Ministry of Magic, 2022  
**_Minister for Magic, Torphin Leonidas  
British Ambassador, Percy Ignatius Weasley_

*****What follows is a series of acts housed under the Marriage Law Bill as set forth by the Wizengamot Council in order to deal with the rise in Squibs and the decline of able-bodied witches and wizards in Britain's wizarding community.

*****Failure to comply with the law will result in a two-year sentence at Azkaban, followed by immediate removal of wand.

*****Upon receiving written notification of spouse, each couple has exactly three months to provide adequate proof of matrimony.

**Rules and Stipulations:**

All witches and wizards between the ages of 17 and 30 must marry a magical person of the Ministries choosing if not already engaged or married. (Please note that the Ministry will attempt to partner people of close ages, although in select cases, this may not be possible)

Couples who are not engaged may enter pleas between the dates of January 30, 2010 and February 30, 2010 if they can prove at least one year of relations and proof of sexual relations which would make one unfit to marry otherwise. Special pleas which involve a pregnancy before the stipulated one year time period will be granted.

Single witches and wizards who do not fall into marriageable age as set forth by the Marriage Law Bill may petition the Ministry for a suitable match after undergoing an extensive background check.

Divorce is only possible after five years of marriage and at least one successful pregnancy.

Witches and wizards who wish to commit to marriage with a muggle of their choice must contact the British Ambassador directly, Percy Weasley.

Witches and wizards wishing to commit to marriage with a witch or wizard that does not fall under the jurisdiction of the British Ministry of Magic may request a meeting with the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

Any questions regarding the bill can be directed to Alaric Aleel, Senior Undersecretary. For the complete set of rules, please send a request by owl to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

The morning post had been accompanied by a special copy of the Daily Prophet, paid for by the Ministry to be delivered to all Witches and Wizards, even those who didn't already have a subscription. This wouldn't have cost them much, as most people already had subscriptions, but it tended to include rather a few students.

Headmistress Wood had read it out to the Hall, despite them all haing read through it before she'd finished. However, she'd managed to call the attention of the happy students to the front cover of the newspaper and so the message was spread much more quickly and calmly than it would have been otherwise. In some cases, the jaws were slow to descend, and in others, sheer rage was an early expression on their faces.

Nothing had even hinted that this would be happening, and by the looks on the teacher's faces, they'd had no clue such a thing would come about either. I guessed it was probably something due to the slow realisation that after the war, there were less pureblood magical children in our generation or something.

As soon as Wood's voice had subsided, the hall broke out into a cacophany of whispers, calls and shouts, all confused and most angry.

"I swear! Leonidas' finally lost it! I was worried last year, when he-"

"Ridiculous! Absolutely bloody ridiculous!"

"This has got to be some kind of sick joke right!?" one boy nearby called to his friend in Ravenclaw, obviously hoping for a more logical explanation.

"Yeah! They can't really-" was his response, drowned out from my ears as the noise hit an all time high.

"That's your father's name on that Weasley!" Percy's son'd best friend had seemed to take it upon himself to turn against him. His cry of

"I don't know! He wouldn't have!" seemed earnest enough, despite being rather silly as his father's name was rather plainly there.

I looked to my right as a shriek came, followed by another girl claiming her friend was dying from hyperventilation. The girl in question was quite obviously a fifth year, one sitting only three seats down. This meant that she was not eligable for the Marriage Law, and so I was obviously confused. The answer came when she calmed down enough to ask anyone she thought would be listening how she could fulfill her five year plan to get engaged to Albus if he was going to be married to someone else for that time.

I scoffed, accidentally rather loudly. It was probably due to the noise that I didn't realise until the girl and her gaggle of friends who's been nodding sympathetically at her turned to me with their scarily identical looks of disgust.

Of course it would be what most people were talking about What their concerns would be. Well, when they weren't in the position to be forced into a marriage arranged by the Ministry of Magic that was.

After about five minutes of this Wood decided her ear drums had had enough and called the Great Hall to silence. As breakfast was now apparently over (much to the annoyance of a few late first years), everyone in fifth year and below were given the privilege of cancelled lessons whilst the sixth and seventh years would talk over their reactions and feelings.

Let's just say, talking to people, let alone strangers as most of the students still were, wasn't and isn't my forte. In fact, I preferred to be less open than most people here, well vocally anyway. I was so bad at talking that even when i'd spent the past 6 years with these people, Albus Potter still took it upon himself to joke about me being the 'New Girl', or the 'Mute'.

I suppose I shouldnt give myself too much of a bad time. I mean, it's not completely my fault that people don't seem bothered by me. Well, apart from a Hufflepuff or two who i'd met over time, or my best friend. I mean, i'm a shy muggle born Gryffindor (why i was sorted into this house is a mystery even to me) who's idea of a good night is snuggling up in bed with a good book and some well made hot chocolate.

I'm not exactly the partying wild child that the majority of Gryffindors either were, or wished they were.

My school seems to think wanting nothing more than a quiet night is an odd thing for a Gryffindor. If I'd been sorted into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, maybe I would have found more acceptance and have more friends.

Not to mention that I think my appearance seemed to weird people out too. It always had, even when I was in muggle primary school, however they'd taken to me eventually, through all the bullying. I guess, that given the right clothes and makeup, I might be considered half way decent looking. Still odd, but decent enough.

You see, I was born with light, ultra pale skin, and hair as white as snow. My eyes were dark brown, but with blue flecks in them. My mother always says that I got bored half way through the job and zoned out after my eyes. People tended to joke about me being a ghost... and then promptly forget about me as if I was one.

"I'd like to take it in turns to say something about the new Bill and your reactions. We all know this is a rather scary time and we are all here for you. No one will interrupt another student and nothing anyone says is to be repeated. You may only speak when I say your name." I zoned out after that. Wood likes to have the odd inter house Quidditch style pep talk. Rumour has it that she got it off her husband Oliver when he used to be the Scottish Captain. With him at the helm, they managed to come back to win two World Cup trophies.

I'd taken a seat right at the other end of the horseshoe to that which she started at, so I had enough time to adjust to the shock, as i'd be the last to speak. It seemed that as Wood announced each person, she would also announce their future spouse from a strange looking list that had dropped in her breakfast along with the Ministry's announcement.

Albus Severus Potter is to be married to the very red haired beauty that is Daphne Wick. I saw that one coming to be quite honest, they've been secretly in love with each other for years. Just glad the Ministry got it right.

The line seems to carry on in this vein. Couples who everyone could see would come together, or those who were already together sprung about all over the place. There were few people in these two years who didn't have someone they really liked, or really liked them.

Except for me and a girl named Kary-Ann Spinnet. Kary was a seventh year who'd had her heart broken rather badly by her ex boyfriend last year and was still recovering. He'd left the school to start work in a shop in Diagon Alley, and she'd been left to pick up the pieces.

"Kary-Ann Spinnet... And Justin Lee Jordan." Wood said with as much conviction as she could muster. Justin was Freddie Weasley's best friend at Hogwarts and they created pure havok together. I looked over to Kary, and thankfully she didn't seem too upset. Apparently their families were friends as she told us all, and he was a really nice guy so she was sure he'd be good to her.

Rose Weasley (sitting around the middle) just made the really good point that there was a chance that if the Ministry were to get it wrong, or couples find they weren't as compatiable as they thought they would waste 5 years of their young adult lives with someone who wasn't right. Of course, she was marrying her sweetheart Scorpius though, so she was still blushing happily whilst saying this.

Malfoy seems to think that there should be the chance to divorce if a spouse turns out to be abusive. I hadn't thought of that, and it set a girl off wailing loudly. It was then that I realised that a lot of people were crying, it just depended if they'd already been told who they were with, as to whether they were tears of happiness or sadness.

I guess this is one of those things which doesn't hit you until it does, and then BAM! It's all real and you're going to be married soon without any wriggle room or choice in the matter.

**This is present tense from now on, because she's now thinking as it goes along, rather than observing.**

Oh Merlin. Maybe this is my BAM moment? And because I said it could come, it has come? Breathe! Breathe!

My heart's thudding, my breathing's increased. How did I not notice this before!? At least i'm not crying. That's a plus right?

Wow.

It's only four people away. Only four people until I know who i'm going to marry, and that they're going to be a former student like Kary-Ann's was.

You know when something's playing out in slow motion and you want to stop if, but you can't? And then you realise it's coming quicker than you want and you can't do anything to slow it down either? I didn't. Until now!

I mean... gosh! What'm I going to tell my parents? How are they going to react to the fact that their loner daughter is suddenly getting married to someone she doesn't know, between the ages of 17 and 30? The Ministry said they'd get it close, but the people before me have already been announced to be with other students, so it's just me. If there's one thing i'm not sure I do trust any more, it's the Ministry of Magic!

Three...

Two...

One...

"Lastly. Amelie Cassandra Celia Edwards." Did she need the whole name? Pretty sure she could have just stuck with Amelie Cassandra and been done with it. And she's speaking so slowly! "Sixth Year... Born 22 October..." Yes! I know! If I was born a few months down the line, say summer, i'd be excempt as most of my year were. But I wasn't, so I'm not, and I know that if I know the Fat Lady can't sing!

Wait. I missed the name with my stupid inner rant. What was his name? What? And everyone's staring at me. Presumably to find out my reaction right?

"I-I-I'm sorry... Could you please repeat that?" I hear myself muttering, stammering the first part because I'm so nervous talking in from of that many people. Jeex, I mean I get panic attacks sometimes having to answer a question in class...

Wood paused after my name this time to take in a deep, calming breath before continuing.

"Teddy Remus Lupin... Quidditch Player for the Chudley Cannons and England Captain..." Another deep breath. "25... Born 1st May."

And that's when I stand up in shock and everything goes black. I don't feel the pain of falling so I guess I fainted before I hit the ground...

**I wrote this wwaayy before I saw Game of Thrones, and the character's description has remained the same, only now I have someone (Daenarys) who I can direct people who think the character sounds too unbelievable to! :D**

**It's a really long chapter, and the others wont be this long, but I hope you liked it! Please feel free to review if you did? xx**


	2. Chapter 2 Rewritten

The first thing I hear as I wake up from a rather odd dream in which I ended up engaged to my best friend's god-brother is a male voice, belonging to... her actually brother in fact.

"Is she dead? She looks like a ghost!.. I mean" he sounds a little awkward now, as if someone gave him an odd look. "you know, more than usual..." he trailed off indignantly.

"Maybe she was in shock from the word go?" a kind sounding voice replies, and I recognise it as Lorian Scamander.

Shock? Shock from what? Oh Merlin. Does this mean that it wasn't a dream at all? The joys of waking up from an embarrassing faint with a crowd of people you don't really know around you, all pressing closer to get a better look. I guess it would have been nice... If i liked attention, or even if they were there to try to really help, and not to see what the girl marrying the Quidditch star looked like half dead.

"Let me through! Let me through! Don't crowd her!" There we are! Help is at hand. I almost sigh with relief whilst opening my eyes to the sight of Madame Jenks. She's retiring this year, and training her replacement to become accustomed to the demands of a school, but she's far from retirement age. I hear she's moving to Spain with her family. "Now. I think we should get her up to the Hospital Wing immediately. And hope she's not going to vomit before we get a bed pan to her!" I _said _almost...

Madame Jenks would be a really good Matron if it wasn't for her odd fear of students being sick. I think that's probably something to do with her leaving this year... she can't take the skiving snack boxes any more. You see.. you go to her with a headache, and you find yourself with a bed pan and about ten different anti-nausea potions before you can say "Centaur!".

"I'm okay" I mumble feebly. Apparently my vocal chords are still frozen from the awkwardness of talking in front of so many people in this situation. I clear my throat and try again to put more conviction into it, repeating the two words with more life in them this time.

"You're deathly pale m'dear! We need to get you to a bed."

"She's always that colour Madame Jenks!" I hear as a flash of red hair enters my vision, pushing her way through the crowd of students barely held back by Jenks. "Amelie's not ill, she's shocked. And even that's an overstatement. I bet she's working everything out right now." Lily Potter continues, rolling her eyes dramatically and producing a Weasley's Wizard Wheeze's pep up potion from within her school robes.

"Ah, well! That should do nicely to counter any shock my dear." Madame Jenks says smiling, thankful for her favourite former patient's ingenuity. Perhaps I should explain that Lily is rather fond of taking risks performing her duties as Gryffindor's seeker, and has been noted to jump off her broom and into the stands to retrieve a snitch before.

"How d'you know that?" I grumble. "I might have an incurable disease i haven't told you about that i'm going to die from in... ten minutes..." I'm complaining and Lily knows it as she takes my hand and pulls me up into a standing position. I may tower over her at 5ft 10, but she has more presence and strength than anyone I know, even at her average 5ft 5.

"Then I'd have to find a way to bring you back." She replies sounding a little hurt. It's really quite sweet, until she ruins it by adding "Who else would I get to be bridesmaid to? I mean, all my cousins have other friends apart from me!" I can't help but narrow my eyes at this outburst, something which Lily says makes the blue stand out brightly and sometimes scarily in my eyes. There were rather a few people crowded around us, straining to get a look at me as it was. I'd prefer them not to know my personal number of friends as well...

Unfortunately, I can't be mad at Lily for too long, looking at her little freckled face made me melt and she usually got her way in our friendship that way. This particular look was the same one she gave me when she convinced me to help change all her brother James' shirts to a vibrant pink because he'd called her squirt.

"Meanie..." I give in jokingly, to which she replies by pulling me into a bone crushing hug whilst laughing. I tell you. Too strong!

"I'm only joking!" she says sweetly when she releases me from her grasp at last, before turning worryingly serious the next moment. "But seriously Amelie, you have no choice. Teddy is my god-brother and you're practically my sister as it is. I could never forgive either of you." She might only be a fifth year, but Lily knew what she wanted, and she'd work hard to get it. She's not spoiled though, she just aims for the stars and if you get in her way, she'll work around you and make it happen by her sheer intelligence and ability.

I'd already decided that if I was to ever get married, then she would definitely be my bridesmaid, but that tone of hers... It's enough to make a grown man shudder. Lily says she gets it from her mum and grandma.

"Okay! Agreed!" I squeak, and her face melts back into her usual contented look. Lily Potter is seriously weird some times, but then again, that's probably the only reason she's friends with me. There's a year's difference, but she still manages to make time for me as well as her countless friends in her own year.

"Right." A sterner voice cuts through the Hall. "Well. After you've decided bridesmaids, maybe you could come with me and I could have a quick word with you Miss Edwards?" Oh.. yes... Teachers and students watching...

"Um..." I begin quietly. "Yes Professor, sorry. I'll see you soon Lils." I murmur that last as I turn to follow Wood towards a door off the Hall that turns out to be the trophy room.

"You do realise, Miss Edwards, that you are the only sixth year, or indeed student at all who is to be married to someone she doesn't already know quite well, not to mention the sizable age difference." Wood begins, having called a House Elf to bring us hot tea and assorted cakes.

I don't touch the cakes, despite how delicious they look when Winky returns with them, I only thank her and gratefully take a cup of strong tea. My stomach is suddenly lurching.

"I'm not trying to make you worry more than you already are." She continues kindly, oblivious to my sudden pale green complexion. "However, It's something which needs to be addressed." she seems to notice my concern and begins to look motherly. "I'm sure this news has come as quite a shock to you. To all of us really..." Then she did something i was not prepared for. Professor Jane Wood stands up from one of the seats she'd transfigured and pulls me into a full hug and just holds me tight. At first I'm surprised. And I mean full on stiff back 'what the hell is going on here?' surprised, but then i sank into it...

Eventually, she pulls back. I guess she feels as if that hug has given her permission to give me some rather awkward news or suggestions from the look on her face. Sure enough, next thing I know, she's saying that

"I know it's going to be hard for you. Teddy is a very attractive 25 year old England Captain who's probably slept with more girls than I care to imagine, but you can't let that effect you. You are still young and you need to make sure he knows that. If you have any questions about the..._intercourse _side of your relationship, or indeed any other side, the intimacy itself is rather foreign at first, please, feel free to catch up with me whenever."

Okay... right well, you just ruined that non cringy moment. That must be a new record or something...

"I'm sure I'll be okay Professor." I murmur, trying to stop my face from burning as bright red as it feels like it is.

"Oh don't be silly dear. I'm sure I've never seen you with a boy save that time James Potter came along looking extremely annoyed, with his shirt multicoloured and Lily yelled about how it was supposed to be pink."

I cringe at the memory. Lily got into trouble and James decided to tell his parents what i'd done to help her. I think from their reaction, they were more amused than angry, but they're the closest thing Teddy has to parents if Lily's right, so they're soon to be my in-laws.

There's a rather long pause as Wood stares at me, trying to get me to respond or give a hint that I want her to give me advice right now I suppose. When I just keep looking at my tea and sipping awkwardly, she sighs.

"Would you like me to get you some chocolate from Honeydukes?"

"Uh.. no thank you... but thank you anyway."

"Are you sure? I'm going up to the Three Broomsticks with a couple of the other professors tonight anyway. I'm sure I'll remember to pick it up." Um.. it's not just me is it? This is verging on the _extremely _uncomfortable... I mean... hmmm... wait! response time. You've politely pondered her offer for long enough.

"Yes ma'am... I'm sure, I still have a couple of small bars left from Diagon Alley this summer." There you go! Politely decline, missing out the fact that those bars of chocolate under your bed were the result of Lily stealing her brother's weird map of Hogwarts and a couple of probably very illegal replenishing charms...

"Oh, well if you're sure dear. If you change your mind, just tell me and I'll be sure to get some." I suppose she's sweet really, I mean she's not acting like this towards any of the other people outside who're being forced into early marriages. Yup, she's just bein- "With Oliver being the coach of the England team from last year and all, we'll be seeing a lot more of each other outside this castle! And you know, us England wives've got to stick together!"

Oh no...

With that, she pats me on the shoulder, insists that I take a few of the cakes for the road and I gulp down the last of my tea and leave. I'm not entirely sure, but I think Winky may have spiked it with brandy.


	3. Chapter 3 Rewritten

**Chapter Three**

That night saw me finally managing to have a proper conversation with Lily, in some way away from prying eyes and ears. She'd been commandeered by Rose to help her pick out her perfect dress from the many bridal magazines she'd apparently already bought. The common room was a buzz with the older years getting to know each other better or rekindling romances the Ministry thought would suit them for a marriage. There were many girls, enchanted by the fact that their boyfriends had accepted their marriage so easily, allowing them the security that they'd been sure about them before.

Lily and I snag two of the coziest seat, right by the fire and she looks at me expectantly. There's no getting away from it now, and I feel like I've waited this long to tell someone, so I begin to tell the story quietly as Lily looks around every so often to make sure we're not overheard.

When I'd finished, she was looking absolutely shocked, almost in amazement, and definitely speechless. This was the first time i'd ever seen her in such a state, and it almost made the encounter with Wood earlier worth it for the experience.

"So... let me get this right.." she began slowly and carefully, sitting forward in her seat. "What you're saying... is that Wood asked you if you wanted help from the teachers to get through it... and then just upped and offered you sex advice, then free chocolate... which you turned down" she sounded most incredulous about that, "then told you that 'us England wives've got to stick together'!?"

"Pretty much." I reply, yawning. If you've never sat by a magically burning wood fire in a really soft chair before, I highly recommend it. It's one of the most relaxing things you can do, especially after the day i'd had. The only thing missing was definitely chocolate, although i'd rather eat my own, than have my headmistress give me some in front of everyone. That would bring too much extra attention to me right now.

"So... you gonna take her up on that?" Lily asks, looking sideways at me through her long mane of hair as she combed her fingers through it, letting it fall in soft waves whilst glancing at her longtime crush.

"Which one?" I whisper, leaning over. "The chocolat...e or the sex?" I ask, shoving her and making her fall back into her chair. Within seconds we were laughing uncontrollably.

"The sex! Definitely the sex!" Lily gasps after a couple of teary... well, about ten teary minutes later, and probably enough stomach spasms to get us both six packs if we're not careful. The people left in the common room had looked around at us at first, but we were laughing with our heads in our seats by that time and so they turned away tutting. "Ooh! This is going in my next letter home!" Lily announced when we'd regained our breath properly.

"Not if you value your life! I don't want your parents thinking... wait.. what would they be thinking..? Put it in if you want to, they already think i'm a freak." I laugh, only half joking. I'd always been worried they'd think I was odd, but now I'm more worried.

"They do not!" Lily retorts, sounding a little upset for a second. "It was crazy, and they've probably forgotten all about it by now! Besides. You're my best friend here and they know it. They've been asking to meet you for years!"

I jump up and down in my seat jokingly, grinning and happy that she'd put my mind at rest.

"You're so odd Amelie, if you're marrying a mature _man_ like Teddy, we'll have to become more grown up." Lily spoke up with a gleam in her eye, telling me she was joking still. "Don't want him thinking you're weird the first time he meets you because of your actions!"

"Are you sure it wouldn't be for her more obvious features?" Ahh great! Here we go! Ladies and Gentlemen, pray allow me to introduce Dominique Weasley. Believe you me, she may look like a perfect replica of a man's imagined perfect girl, but she's really not someone you want to cross... if you've ever seen a veela angry... believe me, she's about ten times worse.

There was, of course, a time when she was quite a nice, sweet and loyal girl, but i'm pretty sure that ended when she saw the first boy she liked... so, probably about the age of five.

"Oh, hi Dom!" Lily grins up at her cousin, seeming happy to be noticed. Of course, Domique's family choose only to see her as the lovely 'wouldn't hurt a fly' type.

"Hey Lils! I just wanted to meet Amelie here." Dominique responds, not taking her scary eyes off me whilst she speaks. Wow. Either she's an amazing actress, or she doesn't remember cursing me and locking me in broom cupboards for practically the entirety of my first year at Hogwarts. By the look on her face when I look up to fully meet her light blue eyes, it's obvious she still hates me for bumping into her that time on the Express. One heck of an actress here.

"Oh yeah! Am, this is Dominique. Dom, this is Amelie! Now you're officially introduced!" Lily says cheerfully, apparently unaware of the death stare i'm being sent by her cousin and the group of her 'best friends' or as i like to call them, cronies that follow her around everywhere.

"Well, it's nice to meet you _Am_. I'll be sure to see you around. Maybe we could get to know each other again?" Oh Merlin... Flicking her eyes, and hair over to Lily, she finishes. "You know, you should hang out with us lot more! We miss you! You're all boring now that the summer's over... I know! Come on, we'll have a girly night. Uncle G just sent over some new relaxation face masks that i've been dying to try!" Yeah, like Lily'll go for that! She hates really girly things, calls it the curse of growing up with three to four guys and a tomboy.

"Yeah! Of course, that'd be great! I love those things!" Or maybe I was wrong. Although, listening to their quick conversation as Lily gets up to join them, it seems maybe she's trying to go all out this year to impress her crush.

"Bye then." I call out. To no reply.

* * *

That was really just the beginning for me. In the next three weeks, Lily begins to spend more and more time with Dominique, who I can see is mostly just using her to get me alone. Whenever we're going to spend time together, she'll ome over and take her away, with a barely concealed look of hatred.

I'm not sure what exactly i've done this time, but I know it's going to blow up in my face some time soon.

I've been meeting girls i've never spoken to in my life, who link arms with me and start chatting like we're the best of friends. Others throw me dirty looks in the hallways, some ignore me, and others... others... lets just say, I've managed to perfect the unlocking charm, invested in a Weasley's Wizard Wheeze's shielding necklace and had to learn several useful healing charms.

Unfortunately, the other morning when I was accosted in the hallway, it wasn't a simple spell to reverse.

In fact, all I seem to remember of the attack was a flash of light strawberry blonde hair, being bundled into a classroom and pain. Lots and lots of pain.

So that's how I've ended up lying in a hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling that I'm apparently going to see every day for the next week until Madam Simps can finish brewing the complex potion to reverse the effects of about ten different paralyzing spells on my body.

And that's after the first hours of pain as she regrew those bones, and as she fixed my face, ribs and arms... and i'm going to stop there, because it would take waayy too long to explain everything, but trust me, it was bad. Luckily, I can use my arms now though, and most of the pain is gone, the rest is being dealt with by a rather nasty tasting pain potion.

It's my second day here, and I swear, somehow it seems like the _entire _wizarding community knows I'm in here or something. I'm not kidding! I don't seriously think there's any way that that I could have been given this many presents and get well soon cards had I simply been attacked and admitted to the Hospital Wing... and not, well, the betrothed of an ultra famous wizard.

I kid you not, I received a posted of Teddy without a top on, posing for some sort of Witch's magazine or something along with a note telling me how he should make me better from a witch in America.

The more bored I am, the more cards I read. This has me reaching over to the closest card I can reach without having too much pain.

_"Amelie,_

_Hope you get well soon,_

_Thinking of you_

_Love from your guys on the Scotland team!"_

That was attached to a rather large box of chocolates. Those, I like! But then, I mean, I like chocolate and it's nice to know that a load of people are thinking of you, but I bet, well I know they know absolutely nothing about me. I mean, apart from the fact that i'm 'engaged' to Teddy Lupin.

I think i'd prefer two or three cards from Lily and the Scamander twins, rather than a whole host from people i've never even heard of.

* * *

I'm truly going completely mad here. I'm thinking to myself more than usual, and I'm actually beginning to look forward to the visits I get from Madame Simps... it wouldn't be that bad except that she only comes over to force feed me the most foul tasting liquids known to man. I swear medicine doesn't and shouldn't actually taste that bad. They _must _put stuff in it to stop kids from wanting to get sick again... well, that's my theory anyway.

For the past few hours, I've managed to count every different crack in the ceiling, made a two minute potions meeting with Madame Simps last half an hour, read the twenty new cards which she dropped off next to my bed, eaten a whole box of chocolates, and am half way through a bridal gowns catalogue I got sent by this wedding dress shop based in Paris, which described my up and coming nuptials as 'The Wedding of the Century!'. I think this is obviously the oddest situation i've ever been in. And the most tiring as well. It's odd to be tired because you're laying around all day, but that's exactly what I am.

According to the note that came with the bridal magazine, my dress must cost nothing less than 1,000 galleons. Which, if you've ever read Hogwarts: The Good and the Bad, was the prize Harry Potter received for winning the Triwizard Tournament at the age of 14. That, according to Lily, is also the amount of money it took her uncles to start their joke shop.

Like I'm going to, or indeed going to be able to afford to spend _that _kind of money on a dress! I'm actually thinking of emptying the bank account I got at Gringotts when I was 12 and the exchange rate was at it's lowest in a decade, and buying one from a muggle shop. I've got 200 Galleons in my account from my parents, and it's gone up to £15 to a Galleon, so that would be more than £3000. I could probably afford my dress, my bridesmaids dress, the groomsmens' suits and Teddy's one and have a lot more left over if it was a muggle affair. My parents got their entire wedding on £4000 and it was an incredible day that aunts and uncles still talk about it this day.

"Chosen one yet?" I look up to Madame Simps walking over to me. Sighing, I close it and put it on the side table.

"Nope. Are they _all_ that expensive?" I ask, completely incredulous.

"Oh darling. Of course they're not!" Madame Simps exclaims. Simps is young and gives off the air that she'd know about all that kind of stuff. I only have a moment of hope, until she continues with "But I guarantee, they'll take one look at you and up their prices by a good few hundred." She laughs.

I just sink back into my pillows, completely deflated as I was before.

"Yeah. They'll either take one look at a wierdo like me and up their price to get me to leave, or they'll have found a picture of me and be waiting for the England Captain's fiancee to come through the doors so they can scam her for all she's... well, he's worth!" I look over at Madame Simps, but she's not nodding in agreement like I thought, she's shaking her head sadly.

"You _really _don't see yourself when you look in the mirror do you?" She asks with a 'poor child' look on her face as she pulls a couple of pillows out from underneath me with her wand so that i'm lying down. "Any person who saw _you _walking into their shop won't be thinking about any _England Captains! _It'll be Teddy-who? That, I can assure you of my dear!" She says softly, pulling my duvet up to my chin and smiling down at me sweetly. "But now, it's time for bed, so you can worry about dresses tomorrow." And with a final pat on the pillow, she flicks the light off with her wand, and walks to her office.

Now what did she mean by that? I wonder... I'm still pondering that thought when I drift to sleep. Unfortunately, this means I've got my eyes firmly shut to the world when a rather large owl flies in the window and delivers a parcel to the end of my bed.

**Well! that's the end of the rewrite! So from now on, this story is going to be updated as often as I can, along with my story Quidditch: A Muggle's Guide.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

I awake in the morning, suddenly realising that in the past couple of days that I've been in the Hospital Wing, Lily's not visited me once, nor has she sent me a card. I know that's an odd thing to dwell on, but since I'm pretty sure the only person I know with a particular shade of strawberry blonde hair who dislikes me is her cousin...

I have little time to truly think this through, however, as I hear an exclamation from a woman nearing my bed, and open my eyes to see Madame Simps and Madame Jenks walking over to my bed, looking at something on it with wide and amazed eyes.

That's when I turn to look at what they're staring at, and am caught by the immediate wonder, of how on earth I missed the great big shiny gold package at the end of my hospital bed.

It's huge, and wrapped with a rather large deep red bow, from which hangs a tag, with the writing facing the parcel.

Whoever's thought to get me such a gift, I hope, truly hope I know them. I think at first that it might have been my parents, but then where would they get the owl to fly it to me, and they'd not been informed yet, as per my request. I'm going to tell them in a letter of my own, and play it down a lot. I don't want to worry them too much.

Madame Simps, still staring almost open mouthed at the present, comes to my shoulders and begins to prop me up once again, so that i'm in a full sitting position. Once she's glanced at me once, to ensure that I'm comfortable, she switches her gaze to Madame Jenks, who'd been checking it for any dark magical properties with her wand.

As it had no outward sign of dark magic, and the two Matrons were so keen to find out what it was, or who might have given it to me, they pulled it towards me, and onto my lap so that I could begin to unwrap it.

Instead of pulling off the bow and undoing the wrapping, like they obviously wanted me to first, I carefully take the large tag in my hand and flip it over, looking at the inscription.

* * *

To Amelie.

I know that of all the ways that I could have begun to woo you, this is not the most ideal, however I couldn't stand the idea that my future wife might not think that I was... well, a nice guy.

I know it's a shock for both of us, and that's why it's taken me so long to make contact, as I should have before, but I'm making it now.

I'd like to know, if you think you could tell me, just who put you in the Hospital Wing? Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to, but I wouldn't mind hating them forever.

I hope you like your presents and maybe find some useful. Lily was surprisingly hard to get hold of to tell me what you liked exactly, so I had to guess really...

I'm allowed to visit in two weeks time to meet you. I hope you'll be wearing one of your presents then.

Anyway,

From your Teddy

* * *

The writing on the tag is incredible and I carefully remove it, feeling oddly close to tears that although we'd not met, Teddy would think to get me a present, or want to hate those who did this to me. That, and that I was going to meet him, and he'd chosen the presents himself.

Usually, none of this would get to me, but in this situation, it was the first sign of my future husband, and I could definitely add caring, considerate, kind and lovely to the list. Lily only tended to tell me about the funny things he did with her bothers in the holidays, so I wasn't sure how he'd be with me, well, with a forced marriage really.

I put the tag carefully on my side table, where Madame Simps has moved some of the cards to the back, in order to accommodate the one I actually like.

I pull the beautiful ribbon from the box, and realise it's made from silk, the wrapping from some kind of truly beautiful, thick paper.

The box within is lovely, painted with swirls which intertwine with each other slowly and magically. It's only because of the shuffling of the Matrons' feet that I pull the lid off and gaze inside.

There are four smaller boxes within, all in varying sizes. The first, the one closest to the top, is long and thin. I pull it's lid off slowly and am greeted by a silver chain with a bright blue stone hanging from it, set in silver. The accompanying note states that Teddy had had it charmed so that it wards off more spells than any other charmed article and is a source of communication if ever I really truly need someone.

I look at it, amazed at how beautiful it is, before fastening it around my neck. It feels warming, and I immediately feel a sense of safety.

The next box is slightly larger, and I open it to find a quill and ink pot. I laugh out loud and so do the Matrons when we see that the ink pot is made to resemble a teddy bear, and the quill is the colours of his team, the Chudley Cannons. I set it on the side carefully. I'm going to be using that in classes from now on.

The third is much smaller again, and I wonder what it could be. I open the lid to see a badge which swirled between the colours of the English flag, and the statement "The Captain's Captain" which, the note said, came from some of his friends on the England Quidditch team. It's again, making me laugh. I think I'm still slightly shocked.

The last, and largest box, belongs to a huge Teddy Bear. It's a bright blue one, as seems to be a theme. Teddy's note says that it changes colour every time he changes his hair does, and so is a Teddy I can keep all the time.

The bear is holding a heart, in which the words "Amelie Lupin" are inscribed. My eyes are huge as I take this in, and the words melt into the first part, repeated along with the part i'd read, adding "The future Mrs.".

As I touch the bear, the first thing I can think of is how incredibly soft it is. It's beautiful and has a silk Gryffindor scarf around it's neck.

Looking down at the gifts, the most thoughtful and beautiful gifts i'd ever received, my eyes well up. He doesn't know me at all, and yet he doesn't hate me for being his betrothed. He actually wants to know me and have me like him and... I can't think past my haze of attempting not to cry right now.

I clutch the bear to me and the Matrons move away, talking to each other about how beautiful the gifts were and whether either had ever been given anything like that.

Retrieving my wand from underneath my pillow and summoning parchment from my school bag takes only a moment and I put the bear next to me, careful to keep it out of the way of any ink splatter when I open the ink pot and pick up the quill i've been given. As I begin to write, i'm only a little surprised that the ink is a vibrant shade of blue.

I've never actually met Teddy before, but I know from the odd poster and Lily's descriptions, that his hair is usually that exact shade of blue.

I begin to write, and find that the words flow much ore easily than I'd thought they would. Even if at first, I feel as if i'm writing a letter to my bear.

* * *

Dear Teddy,

Thank you so very much for the beautiful and amazing gifts. You truly didn't have to.

I love each and every one and I will cherish them forever. I think i'll call the Teddy Nymphadora, because I want her to be a she, and I've always loved that name, despite Lily telling me that I can't name a child that because they'd hate it.

I think it's both of us who should have written, and so the blame is half mine as well. I only hope we can perhaps talk more before we meet? So that when we do, we at least know a little about each other?

I'm sorry to say that I have a pretty good idea of who it was who attacked me, but I should have seen it coming, and it's not the first time i've been set upon by them, although it is definitely the worst! I'm not going to tell you who they are, because I don't think anyone should be hated, even though I really really want to hate the leader of the group especially.

I haven't really heard from Lily since I've been in here either, I have another few days in here at least before all the effects of the spells can be reversed, but the main damage was fixed with some skelegro and healing spells when I first arrived.

When I see you in two weeks, I'll be the white haired girl, wearing the blazing blue necklace and a badge that says i'm your Captain!

I look forward to meeting you, and hope you're as kind and lovely in person as your gifts suggest you are.

I guess I should end this with

Yours,

Amelie Edwards

* * *

When Madame Simps comes back to give me one of my potions, I practically beg her to send the letter with the Hospital Wing's owl, and she finally relents after she hears it's a letter thanking Teddy for his gifts.

I lean back against the pillows and cuddle Nymphadora, feeling tired, but in a good way, in a better way than before, a more contented way than i've ever truly slept at Hogwarts.

Next thing I know, I'm taking a nap in the morning and i'm woken up later, with the sounds of the Hospital Wing around me and the warm, cuddly feeling of my teddy bear clutched to me, the warm stone of my necklace, a lovely weight around my neck, and an owl pecking at my shoulder rather carefully.

The owl is trying to hard not to hurt me by it's pecks, that it takes me a good minute or two to realise what's happening. When I do, I roll slowly onto my back, trying not to jog the owl too much. It hoots happily at me as it walks across my body as I roll and ends up perched on my stomach. It must be the most carefree and kind owl I've ever met!

The owl put's it's leg out for me to take the letter attatched, and then settles at the end of my bed, obviously expecting to be sent away with a response.

I unroll the parchment and am greeted by the beautiful writing of one Teddy Lupin.

* * *

Dear Amelie,

I hope this letter doesn't come too quickly, but I'm at the Burrow at the moment with the Potters and the Weasleys and they all wanted me to read out the letter, so I did.

They all think you sound absolutely wonderful and kind.

Lily probably said that she didn't think that a girl would like the name Nymphadora because that was my mother's name, and she insisted on being called by her surname, Tonks. It's so very lovely that you like that name so much. I think it's perfect for the bear... and i've always wanted to honour her in calling one of my children that name as well.

I'm sorry to hear that Lily's been hard to get a hold of for you too. I hope that doesn't mean that she's avoiding us or anything, it would be surprising if she was, considering her last letter stated rather surely that she was going to by our chief bridesmaid.

I'm confused though, and so is the family... Why do you not want me to know who did this to you? You're going to be my wife soon, and as Victorie said, I need to know who's most definitely not invited to the wedding! I'm only half joking here, we're all thinking that you should tell someone at least, otherwise it could get worse? That was the advice of my surrogate father by the way, and if there's one person who knows you should tell people about stuff happening, it's Harry Potter.

I should add that Victorie is my ex girlfriend. It happened years ago, in the summer before her last year and when I had just turned 19. It was a summer romance but nothing more, and we said goodbye on the Hogwarts Express and parted ways happily. We have no feelings for each other and I guess I'm telling you this because a couple of members of the family might still think there's a chance we could be together. I just want you to know that there isn't, and never was.

Yours, Teddy

* * *

I knew there was something which happened between Teddy and Victorie, years ago, Lily always says, but it's nice to know that there's definitely nothing. I hear she's pregnant with her second child and extremely happy, so the thought that some people might still think they should be together is odd...

Its like a lightbulb going off in my head when I realise why Dominique's hatred has resurfaced. If she thinks that her sister and Teddy should still be together, or that he should be with someone _like _her sister, then that would be why she did this to me...

I quickly write another letter to Teddy, saying that i'm sure that I don't want to tell about the person who hurt me, and that I have reasons that I will maybe explain one day. I add that I'm sorry I didn't know it was his mother's name, and I'd love to be able to call one of our two children by her name.

I finish the letter after having assured him that I know that there's nothing between the two of them and that Lily always tells me how I would love Victorie if I met her.

When I tie the letter to the owl's leg and stroke it's head before it flies out of the window, I can't help wondering if if Dominique hates me now for that reason, she'll ever give up. I can't forget that the only reason she stopped bullying me in my first year was because James and Freddie caught her one time. I swore them to secrecy, but now? Now it looks like it's only me who'll be able to stop her.

Looking over to the window, I'm shocked at the fact that there's another owl flying in. It stops to allow me to take the rather small looking note and then goes off in search of the owlery. The note is simple and short. All it read is

"Did she do it?

J and F"

I guess I'm not alone after all, I think whilst stashing the note when Madame Simps comes over with yet another potion designed to test my gag reflexes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

I don't know what to say to James and Freddie. I mean, I haven't seen them in a couple of years, but they were rather good to me from first year onwards... They were just careful to be quiet about it.

When they found out what Dominique was doing, they made a point of threatening to tell everyone what she was really like with something James' dad owned called a Pensieve. I found out later that that was somewhere you could look over your old memories.

They said they found me because they'd noticed that I tended to go missing from lunch times when I walked past Dominque and her friends or something.

You see, even when I turned James' shirts pink for Lily, he confronted me about it but not in a bad way, they thought she was really cool for having done it, but wondered why she let Lily take the credit. You see, to them, pranking someone was not a bad thing, it meant you went up in their estimations.

I don't think I'm going to tell them though. Not now. I've spent another night and a day attempting to work out what to do, and this is something I need to work out for myself before I dob her in.

I attach the right note to the leg of an owl and send it off.

It looks like I'll be out of here soon. Lily's still not visited and I'm a little worried now I guess. I'm scared about leaving the sanctuary of the Hospital Wing, but I feel much better now that I have Teddy's presents. I feel as if I'll be safer... If not safer, at least I'll be more secure anyway. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than scared that in less than three months time, I'll be getting married. It's about two months, and when I meet Teddy, it'll be one and a half. That being said, I'd rather try to get to know him than dwell on the fear, because it'll eat at me if I do.

When Madame Simps last came over to check up on me, she said that I looked really good compared to before and that she just needed to clear it with Madame Jenks and they could send me 'home' to the Gryffindor tower.

Thankfully, I was given these days off having to do homework and class work, so i'm not too worried about that and I can just go sleep or actually get my book to start reading again. For some reason I wasn't allowed my books whilst being here, they said no one would bring them to me... Not surprising I guess?

Madame Simps comes back, smiling brightly at me. "You're free to go as soon as I've given you this last thing." She says, being followed by Madame Jenks. The pair smile at me whilst they pull a couple of things from behind their backs. I'm surprised to see a card and a little box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Skiving Snacks. "We thought you might want to get out of the odd sticky situation." She continued, grinning mischievously.

"Thank you" I say simply, leaning up to hug them both, genuinely thankful that they did this. It's odd to count two Matrons among the people you're sure you want at your wedding, but they're going to be there after how amazing they've been to me. I'm definitely going to be skiving at least once to come say hello if everything gets on top of me.

They leave me alone to get dressed back into the school robes which had been laid out on the chair next to my bed, and shrink my presents and cards so that they fit into my satchel school bag. I don't shrink my presents from Teddy though, the ink, quill and badge go in my bag and I still haven't taken off my necklace. I pick Nymphadora last, making sure that I haven't missed anything in my packing, and open the curtain around my bed.

Waving goodbye to the Matrons in their office, I walk out of the doors and immediately feel a little less safe. I mean, Hogwarts is a large and scary place when you seem to be alone... let alone when you've got someone baying for your blood.

Walking through the halls, I realise that the last lessons of the day have just finished, and so there are many people beginning to stare at me, holding a great big blue bear. The heart is facing me though, just to be safe.

I'm near the portrait hole and thinking i'm scot free when I feel Nymphadora being wrenched from my grasp on one side whilst someone hoists me up over their shoulder. I begin to kick and screech, but they simply mutter "Silencio" and i'm stuck.

I keep kicking and trying to get away until i'm dropped rather unceremoniously onto a table in what appears to by the Herbology classroom.

Looking up, I have to say I'm rather surprised at the faces of my kidnappers.

**Shortest chapter yet! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts through reviews or whatever! xx**


	6. Apology

Hey guys! Sorry to do this, but I've been having exams - A levels which are like finals in senior year to Americans etc - so I've not been writing and I'll probably not get another chapter out until next Tuesday when they've all finished

Sorry guys :/

Charlotte xx


	7. Chapter 6

**I should be studying for my exams, but due to certain reviews (you know who you are, you awesome people), I couldn't concentrate on Politics and had to start writing the new chapter before I went crazy!**

**To be honest, I know where this story is going, and what is going to happen in it's future, but I write each chapter just on it's own without much real knowledge of where that's going, and it often surprises me where a writing roll will take Amelie!**

**Therefore, I wasn't sure who'd kidnapped her either until about forty minutes ago! And even then, I wrote an entire chapter before deciding to change it completely!**

I look around the large room, quite confused. There are large tapestries surrounding the walls and books, so many books lining the back wall. That, and fireplaces dotted all around the room with chairs looking more comfortable than the ones in the Gryffindor common room.

I take this all in in wonder. It takes me all of a second to return my gaze to the pair who kidnapped me, through suspicious and narrowed eyes. I don't know why they would seek to kidnap me and take me to a room I've never been in before, but their matching looks of excitement mixed with worry scare me a lot.

Louis and Albus, quickly murmur apologies and leave the room. This worries and confuses me greatly. I mean, who in the name of Merlin takes someone from outside their common room, kidnaps them, takes them to a room they've never been in before and then ju... Oh...

I'm afraid my ability to think, speak, or move is severely impaired with the entrance of the figure who makes his way out of one of the fireplaces in my line of vision, and begins to walk slowly towards me.

He looks surprised, almost thankful that I'm not some little sixth year who's not quite done growing yet, and falters only slightly when he looks me up and down and fully takes in my appearance.

I've never felt as self conscious as I do in this very moment. I can almost feel my hair sticking up slightly from where I was man handled by Louis, and I'm extremely embarrassed to say that I am still clutching the bear Albus returned to me like my life depends on it.

As soon as this thought properly clears the fog that has inadvertently invaded my head, I casually drop it on the chair next to me which holds my bag.

Why am I wearing my school uniform!? I mean, I could be wearing anything at all, anything! I bought myself a really nice dress over the summer. I could be wearing that! I mean, it's in the bottom of my trunk, in my room, in the Gryffindor tower, but still!

I'm looking at the first man I've ever been rendered speechless by and I'm in my stupid school uniform, looking like the little proper student that I guess I am. That is, I mean, the very ruffled student that I am at the moment.

I'm thankful for my ultra pale skin at the moment, almost purely for the fact that it hides what I guess could easily have been a very awkward blush.

I realise that he's stopping, calling his steady progress across the room to a halt and putting his hands in the front pockets of his dark jeans and smiling sheepishly at me. He pulls one of his hands through his hair when I just continue to stare, and it's then that I realise he's said something and I'm just standing there staring at him like a weirdo!

Way to go with first impressions Amelie!

He chuckles slightly at this and I realise to my horror that I mumbled it out loud. My gosh, could I be any more awkward?

It's never really truly bothered me before, but then again I've never been this close to this person before. He seems to exude magnatism, and it's not just his looks that are incredible, its his walk, his stance when he's standing there, as if every movement is completely naturally perfect.

He's got some sort of grace, I guess, as odd as that is to say about a man who's quite as tall and muscular as he is. He's lean though... His laugh though, that chuckle was incredible.

I don't think there's any way you could look at him and not find him incredibly attractive. But not just that... I don't think there's any way that IIII could look at him and not have to take all of these things in at once, and have them overwhelm me completely.

I have to say, that if I have ever known anything in my life, it's that the one Teddy Lupin, as i've ever seen him in posters or photos has absolutely nothing on the man standing in front of me.

**I'm tempted to leave it as it is, right there... Just to make you wonder who it is she's met, but I won't be that mean haha!**

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"Hello Amelie." He says, and I nearly jump out of my awkward assessing of his every detail. This time, I do blush and it makes him laugh again. "It's nice to meet you." he continues when I just stare and blush up at him.

He's stopped only about a foot in front of me, but I still have to look up to meet his eyes. He must be about 6 foot 3 at least.

"Hi." I manage to force out, with what I'm relieved to tell you is a very normal voice. If I'd have squeaked, I think I would easily have just run away with embarrassment. My reply makes him grin, and i realise that it will take me a while at least to get used to looking at someone like him.

"Would you like to sit?" he asks, motioning to the seats beside me and I nod gratefully. If I stand too much longer, I think my legs might just jellify without the need for the jinx. We sit down, him still looking... well, completely at ease, and me probably being very weird. "Sorry, I'm pretty nervous", he says as he runs a hand through his hair again and leans forward in his seat.

I think my heart nearly stops when he looks up at me from the angle he's sitting and I'm hit with the full force of his incredible blue eyes. I think i've lost the power t breathe definitely. I just nod, confused when I my brain catches up with his words and the slight shake in his voice.

"So am I." I manage to breathe out, and his smile returns. I think i'm more than happy to have put it there, although I'm also more than shocked that I managed to make him smile and lean back like that, as if I'd put him at ease.

I realise that Lily, if she'd been here with me, would have been laughing wildly at me and shoving me out of my chair, telling me that I was silly to be acting like this around him.

Luckily she isn't, and so I can stare at him in awe all I like. I know that I'll have to calm it quite quickly though, I mean it'll be more than awkward when I get married if I'm unable to speak because of some guy I've seen.

But then I guess the man leaning back in his chair, smiling reassuringly at me and offering me tea from the tea pot he's just conjured out of thin air isn't just some guy, is he?

I take the cup and sip the hot tea, fortifying myself for the upcoming conversation.

The first conversation with the hearthrob, the incredible wizard, the Quidditch star, the man who's making my heart flutter wildly like it never has before (and believe me, I've seen good looking guys - Have you ever met Louis Weasley for example?) with bright blue hair...

My future husband Teddy Lupin.

**Oooooh - might write the conversation today, or on Tuesday - depends completely on whether I can stand the wait or not!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Teddy pours his cup of tea, still looking at me and takes a sip once he's put the pot on a small table between our two chairs.

Despite them being opposite each other, the coziness of their placement, next to a lovely fire and angled towards it, means that they aren't too far away, just far enough.

I sip my tea in silence, whilst Teddy seems to manage to drink the scalding hot drink much quicker than me and pours himself another cup, almost as if it's dutch courage. His hand shakes very slightly when he picks up the tea pot, and I'm stunned by the realisation that it's not from the weight of it, a much as the weight of the situation.

I catch his gaze again once he pulls back, and he grins sheepishly at me once more. My curiosity is definitely getting the better of me, and I can't help but break the silence that has fallen, causing Teddy to jump slightly, as if he wasnt expecting me to be the one to speak first this time. I'm quite surprised myself to be honest, and have to take a couple of deep breaths before I get out my words.

"So... Why did you have me kidnapped and brought here? Why not just owl me to meet you or talk to the school?" I ask, thankful that I didn't stammer at all through it. Stammering isn't something I do usually, just sometimes I have to take calming breaths before talking to people I don't know. It's my shyness that does it I think.

Teddy sits up suddenly, causing me to nearly jolt my tea and throw it over the chair and myself as he's suddenly much closer than before, and I can make out the flecks of bright blue in his eyes that match his hair.

Or... at least... matched his hair... It's suddenly turned a shade of light brown and I feel as if he seems... sad?

"I didn't mean for you to feel like it was like that." He begins, pulling away slightly, but looking earnestly into my eyes. "I.. I just. Well, I mean I wasn't allowed to see you for two weeks. Two weeks would be ridiculous!" His voice becomes louder and he stands up suddenly, as if he's proclaiming the last words to the entire room rather than just to the two of us.

"Would it?" I question quietly, not sure why he's quite so adamant that I should have been brought here to meet him and not just meet me when we'd be prepared.

He swings round to look at me from where he began to stare into the fire with one hand on the back of his neck and the other on the mantelpiece. The look is one as if I'm mad. "Of course it is. Two weeks. It should have been less than that between when we found out we were being forced into this marriage and met. It's been nearly a month already, it'll be about a month and a half between us meeting and getting married. Does that not seem silly to you?"

I can't help but just stare at him as he begins to pace. Of course it seems silly... More than silly. It seems like the worst possible idea. I open my mouth to... I'm not sure what to say really, but I don't get a chance to begin before he continues.

"A month and a half. How in the hell would I possibly be able to get to know you at all in that space of time. You're at school, and you'll be at school until we get married. Even then." He ran a hand through his hair, a habit of his I suppose. Teddy stands, staring down at me and sighs, sitting on the table between us so that he was even closer than before. "How many people do you know that the Ministry have forced to marry, who don't know each other?"

I looked into his eyes, the ones searching mine and had to admit that I didn't know any. I think by the look in my eyes, he knows at once that I don't, but also that I'm slightly scared by the exchange. He sighs again, but then just puts his head down a little.

"I don't know any either. The majority of my friends are engaged or in long relationships now. Those that aren't, were put with people they'd known at least as acquaintances. There's not been an age gap like this either." He looks at the side of my chair. "I could protest. There's someone i'd been seeing until recently." As a manner of explanation, he gestured to the floor beside my chair and carried on. "She's Spanish, which is how she wasn't involved in this."

I'm silent for a moment, wondering why he's telling me this. That and for some reason quite upset. "Why don't you? I mean, she's probably your type, and perfect for you isn't she?" I wonder out loud. Even now, he doesn't look at me.

"It was over a couple of months ago. Entirely over. Well, over for me. She wasn't. Perfect for me I mean. Victorie tells me that I'm too hard to please." He breaks off and chuckles again, but bitterly this time. "She always used to tell me that someone would have to find me my perfect bride, or I'd never get married." He looks at me now, but still doesn't meet my eyes. "I guess she's not the only person who thinks so eh?"

I don't know what to say. I just try to meet his eyes. It takes a minute or two, but eventually he looks at me properly and slowly, as he looks at me and tracks the movements of my eyes, his turn back to their usual shade of blue and his face changes to his usual look of normality. He laughs, and when he starts laughing, he doesn't seem to be able to stop. He just keeps gasping about Ministry approved love.

"Life, love and marriage according to the Ministry i guess!" I reply, laughter in my voice but not inside. Inside, i'm confused at his sudden changes.

"I didn't mean to be like this." He says quietly. "I meant to come in and look cool, and make you think I was a cool guy. A really normal one, not one who'd even entertained the thought of forsaking you to whatever person the wheel might spin you to if he selfishly..." He looks at me and I nod, understanding what he means.

I hadn't thought of that. That he could easily just prove that he'd been in a sexual relationship and wanted to stay with that woman. Even if it was getting back with her, just to avoid marrying me. Me, the 17 year old friend of his god-sister.

"Lily never liked her anyway." He says with a grin on his face, which makes me relax slightly. "I think she approves of you. In fact, I know she does. I think she's been dropping hints about you all summer actually, I seem to remember her telling James that one of her brothers had to marry you one day, you're too good for other people." He laughs as I smile, realising that she probably did say that after all.

"She wanted me to get together with someone..." I aquiest. "Just didn't ever think that that someone might be one of her brothers!" I pause for a second. "Come to think of it... She wasn't all that surprised when she found out." This makes us both laugh, and then Teddy gets up and sits in his chair again.

* * *

I lose track of the amount of time we spend sitting there, talking, laughing and just getting to know each other over tea and delicious food, but I do know that it means I'm walking along the corridors in the dead of night, hoping not to get caught by Filch. Filch might be extremely old, but he still seems to be as quick and snide as ever. In fact, I'm inclined to think that each year, he seems to get a bit nastier as he gets older.

I'm really quite happy to have met Teddy. He's funny and intelligent and after the first awkward hour, he relaxed entirely and I think he became even better looking than he did before.

Teddy had apparently cooked dinner for the two of us, as if he'd thought about the time he'd spend getting to know me properly. As soon as my stomach had begun to rumble, he'd whipped out a small wallet from his pocket and I'd quickly realised it had a rather good enlargement spell on it because of the amount of food removed. Teddy had sheepishly said he hoped i'd liked the meal afterwards and admitted that he'd asked Mrs Potter to give him the recipes to his favourite foods.

I feel like a true schoolgirl with a crush right now, having butterflies over the guy she likes, and holding something emblazoned with her first and his last names whilst dreamily reliving her time with him. The only difference I guess is that he gave it to me and I know i'm definitely going to marry him. And soon.

I'm choosing not to think about the fact that I'll be married in less than two months, because that would mean thinking about what traditionally happens on the wedding night. We did, of course, discuss the wedding at one or two places in the conversation. We're going to go and see a couple of venues and check out the food and everything when we see each other again in less than two weeks time, but not in any great detail. I think Teddy has much more of an idea what he wants out of a marriage than I have, so I think i'll tell him next time I see him that he can have creative license with it all.

I manage to get all the way back to the common room without being spotted, but the Fat Lady questions me when I get there.

"And what have _you_ been up to this evening young lady!?" she asks when I give her the password of flobberworms.

"Nothing." I reply, feeling the blush rising up to my cheeks. It's been just below the surface all afternoon with Teddy.

"Humph." She says, turning to her side, a look of obvious disbelief on her face. "Whyyyy you might be running around behind the back of that lovely young Teddy Lupin, I have no idea." My face turns pale at that suggestion, and I open my mouth to protest, when the portrait hole opens with a last omission of "Lovely young man he was. Father was a Gryffindor too you know, and a professor here! Always very respectful I tell you!"

I couldn't keep the incredulous look from my face if I truly tried, so I just shake my head as I step through and head for the stairs.

I'm just wishing that I could talk to Lily about everything that's happened, when she herself pops up from one of the chairs we usually sat in by the fire.

"Where were you?" She asks, her arms folded and a look of judgement usually used by Dominique on her face.

There must be someone somewhere who doesn't want me to speak much today, because just as I'm about to reply, Dominique stands up along side her and takes exactly the same stance.

"Yes, _Edwards." _she seems to sneer my last name, "where were you? Or rather... who were you with?" she moves with Lily, to the backs of the chairs to better assess my red cheeks. "You got out of the Hospital Wing ages ago. And don't say you didn't, poor Lily here came to check up on you and you were gone."

Lily shifts, almost uncomfortably at this, which is odd for her, and it spurs me on to confront her.

"Lily hasn't come to see me once since I'd been in the Hospital Wing." I turn to face Lily properly. "Not once. Some best friend you are." I finish, hurt that she didn't care. Lily shifts again, but fixes me with one of her new Dom looks.

"I came today." she begins, still not quite meeting my eyes.

"And today was the day you apparently decided to go off and make out with someone, by the looks of your uniform. I told Lily all about your secret boyfriend. She couldn't believe it, could you? But I was right. You're engaged to Teddy and you're still carrying on behind his back with some other sod. Don't worry though" Dominique adds, looking laughingly at my shocked and horrified face as she shepherds Lily to the stairs to the girls dormitories. "Everyone knows now. And Teddy will know tomorrow too, along with the family. Everyone thought you were some innocent virgin, but you're not."

"Lily! It's not true!" I call out, but she doesn't acknowledge me.

Dominique has her arm around her as they climb the stairs. Before she goes out of sight, she turns to me and grins manically. "Your Slytherin boyfriend agrees. You should tell people the truth more. Maybe then, they'd be less hurt when you betray them."

If there was one person who should ever be placed in Slytherin... It should be Dominique.

I sink into one of the chairs they'd just vacated, and cuddling Nymphadora to me, I begin to cry and sob. How had a day so oddly perfect become so bad in the space of a couple of minutes?

And that's where I am in the morning when Albus and Louis walk down the stairs, glaring at me on their way. As they pass me, hardly having slept and tears still clinging to my eyelashes, they make a point of coming up to me and calling me insulting names.

The only thing that gives me hope is the letter Albus seems to 'accidentally' drop as they move away again. I wait a couple of seconds, so that the other people making their way to breakfast don't see me, namely Dominique's cronies, and then I lean forward and pick it up.

It's just a note, but it's a note that means a lot. All it says is

_"Sorry Amelie. Sorry for all we've said before, we know its not funny... But James and Freddie told us what Dominique did, and if there's one thing we know, it's that to catch a bully, you have to let them think they've won. So... we might be a bit mean for the next couple of weeks, but come to the boys domitories when you feel alone. We've got a way for you to see Teddy, and if you're in danger, just rub your necklace and think 'I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." It'll alert us to just where you are and we'll keep you safe."_

I don't quite understand their plan, but from the secretive looking smiles I get from their cousins coming down the stairs, and the small look of sorrow I get from Lily as she passes me with Dominique before her face turns back to one of hatred, I have a feeling it's going to be something too good to miss.

I might not know when, where, or indeed how, but at some point in the next few weeks, I have a good feeling that Dominique is going down.

* * *

**By the way, Dominique is in Amelie's year, but is really young for her year, a summer baby in this story. Louis is born in September for this story, and so there's nearly two years between them. It also explains why no-one is stuck with her for the next five years! Hehe**

**I wrote so much guys! If I fail Politics, it's the fault of this story!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

I wipe my tears and head up to the my dormitory to change into clean robes and have a quick bath. I figure it's going to be much easier for me if I put off going to breakfast today for as long as possible.

When I enter the room, most of the girls are gone and it's only Carmen Chang left. Carmen's rather nice, she doesn't really get in anyone's business, and so it's not much of a surprise when she smiles at me and says she's happy i'm better when she's hurrying out to get to the Great Hall before he favourite seat's gone. I call out a thank you and make my way to my trunk.

Having a password to your trunk is a good idea when you're me, and this is something I learned from Dominique in first year, when she stole all my tights and jumpers and hid them around the castle. I nearly froze to death that winter.

I quickly press the appropriate sections of the inlay on the top of the trunk and pull it open, depositing my presents in it. It's odd that yesterday and the Hospital Wing seem like such a lifetime away, when it's only been hours.

It doesn't take long for me to be clean and changed. Passing the mirror on the way out of the bathroom that I usually avoid, however, I cant help but stop and take in my appearance for the first time in a long time.

I've never really liked my looks. I mean, I look like a washed out weirdo who put too much bleach in her hair this summer, but I decide to take stock this time.

My eyes seem to be slightly larger than I remember, the flecks much brighter as they always seem to be in the morning light, as if they're twinkling. My hair is long, to my elbows when straight, but right now it's in it's more corkscrew curly natural state so it's to my shoulder blades. A simple spell always sorts that one out as usual, but something in me wonders what it would be like to have it curly again. Another day maybe.

My skin is clear as usual. I went through the awkward spotty stage, but there's none of that now and my skin looks smooth but still too pale to me. I'm slim and tall with a hint of my mum's amazing hourglass figure, and long legs covered in black tights going into flat black shoes.

I'm nothing special, in fact i'm nothing short of odd looking, but then I begin to look at myself not like Dominique taunted me into looking at myself in first year, but as if I was walking past myself.

My nose is straight and narrow, my eyes large and bright and my lips are plump and a natural soft pink. My hair sits smooth and shiny and long around my shoulders and arms, and my figure is like some models I've seen. I don't need heels like some of the girls in my year to be taller.

This all lasts a moment, before I begin to pick out all my flaws again, more flaws than I'd ever care to admit, and I remember why looking in the mirror makes me sad. I realise that this time, I feel even sadder than usual. I think it's about Teddy and how odd I'm going to look to him and beside him, and when that enters my mind, I have to shake my head to get the thoughts out.

Yes, he's being forced to be with me, but he didn't look completely repulsed yesterday, so it'll be okay.

I make my way down to breakfast after I've packed my bag for the day, and even with my dawdling, I realise i'm still going to have a full half an hour of sitting there before I have to go to my first class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Sitting down the table to the people in my year, I begin to pile food onto my plate. I have a rather large appetite sometimes, which had a bad effect on me when I was younger, but growth spurts seemed to even things out a little.

I'm happily focused on my plate of food, and not on the owls which begin to fly overhead, until two decide to drop practically in my meal and start to nibble at my pancakes, getting syrup all over their beaks in the process.

One owl, the tawny one, is holding a letter. It's the larger of the two which has my curiosity, carrying what appears to be a smaller version of the box which had appeared on my bed a couple of mornings before.

I rescue the package and letter from the legs of the owls, just in time to avoid syrup and juice stains. It's the letter I open first, looking around and seeing there are eyes on me and the parcel, obviously curious.

The letter is from my mum and dad, and so it reminds me with an embarrassed jolt that I've yet to tell them about what's been happening. My parents are the coolest people alive. My mum is young and fresh, with the same brown eyes but with green flecks, dark blonde curly hair and an hourglass figure to die for. I get my eyes from my mum, but my pale skin and light hair from my dad. My mum always says my dad was born with similar problems to me. He has light silver blonde hair that's not quite white, and pale-ish white skin which tans awesomely well. My dad has blue eyes which match the flecks in mine, and the brightest smile ever.

My mum and dad got together when they were 17 and met in France where he went to boarding school. Mum always says he could have had an incredible life there, but he gave it all up for her. They lived in France for a little while but wanted me to be born in England where Mum's from and Dad was born, so they ran away to get married and had a whirlwind romance that lasted.

Dad says there was a connection between them that he could never ignore, and that it felt like if he didn't manage to make her love him, he would die.

Suffice to say, I was born when they were only 19, so they're pretty young still as well, only 36. Thinking about this, it's rather more awkward that i'll have to explain that i'm getting married to someone who's only 10 years younger than they are.

I rip the letter open, interested to see how they got an owl whilst i'm at school. Usually, they have to wait for me to send them a letter and reply. I guess i've been too remiss and they've had to find an owl somewhere.

When I pull open the folded letter, i'm shocked.

**This is kind of a weird chapter, but i'm not very well right now, but wanted to get something out to you all. If you can guess what i'm hinting at in this chapter, i'll give you a virtual cookie! Then next chapter (the other half of this) will be out tomorrow, but I just wanted to get something out to you all despite being ill.**


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